Chereads / The Bastian System / Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Hell Is A Place On Earth

Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Hell Is A Place On Earth

Sometimes I wish I had a stronger will. Mostly because my sister would always have an answer for everything, even if it was the wrong one. A perfect example is the situation now. As the train thundered along, I grew more nervous about the situation. We were sorted based on our power potential, and I would be way to weak to pass by at her camp.

"Xynthia this isn't going to end well."

"Oh quit you're worrying for once. I won't let anything happen to you." Of course said with a smile.

"Somehow I don't think you alone can do that."

People at this point were starting to notice our conversation. Seeing as nobody else was talking, our bickering was drawing some attention. At first it was a few glances. But now some people were just casually staring at us. Whispers started around the train after that. A normal topic brought up was us. But at this point there was nothing to be done about it. I was on my way to a camp for those destined to be strong. While I was not truly meant to be there.

The rest of the ride I tried to be as small as possible. Any less attention drawn to me the better. My biggest worry is when we get to the camp.

Sadly I didn't have too long to worry about that, as an announcement came over the train, "be prepared to exit the train, arrival to camp in less than two minutes."

"Caesar just follow my lead and stay behind me, I'll make sure everything works out," Xynthia said smiling.

I could do nothing but sigh and nod. At this point I wasn't left with much of a choice. It didn't take long for the camp to come into view, and somehow it was both better and worse than my expectations.

The facility itself looked great, shiny, state of the art. So many things I didn't know how to explain were there. What was worrying is what surrounded the camp. It was on a raised cliff, the ground itself looked spacious, but underneath it was a violently churning ocean. Even more worrying is the several cyclones of water that connected the sea to the sky. Just a reminder of the hell this world was.

Once the train stopped and the doors opened, we saw a thin path, maybe two people wide. That separated us from the camp. It seemed we would be seeing what we were made of right away.

"So who wants to go first?" A young man asked.

"I think I'll let a few of you go before me." A lady had said.

It was very clear nobody wanted to be the first to go across. Looking at the chasm below. It was obvious falling off meant death.

"We'll go, won't we brother?" Xynthia said.

"Why do you do this to us?" I said sighing again. "I guess we will since you volunteered us."

Without hesitation in her step she started walking forward, not even waiting for me. So of course I went after her.

"What a nice brother, volunteering to go first," she said with a smile.

"I swear I hate you sometimes," I said as I begrudgingly walked ahead of her.

At first the walk was simple, but about halfway through the winds started picking up and the ground was soaked. It felt like I was being pulled in every direction.

"Just keep walking straight," Xynthia was shouting behind me. "Just be confident you won't fall."

"How are you so confident about this?"

"Because there's not an option for any other choice at this point."

She made sense for once. So I powered through with the faith that she was right behind me. A few times I almost slipped, but managed to catch myself, and eventually made it across. A few moments later and Xynthia finished crossing right behind me. Looking back I could see nobody started crossing yet except for us.

"We really were just test dummies for them," I said sighing again.

"That just means we get to have a look around before then, let's go!" And I was pulled off again by her.

The closer we got to the actual camp, the more impressive it looked. Tall walls surrounded it on the three sides we weren't approaching from, and from everything I've seen from the train to now, it seems there is five buildings total. The largest of which was a circular one in the middle, then four square ones on the left and right and behind it, making a semi-circle.

The closer to the buildings we got, the more I started to notice each one had an insignia on it. On the far left the building had a four winged bird, the next one to the right had crossed swords, the next one had an eight winged serpent and then last one had a shield. The only building that was different was the circle one in the middle, it had all four of the others combined into one.

We were just about to be within a hundred feet of the circle building when the doors opened and five people come out towards us, my natural instincts told me to stop the moment I saw them. I looked back to see the others were just finally getting across to our side.

"So you're the first two to get over here eh? You don't look like anything special to me." Said a middle aged man on the left, he wore a nice suit.

"Oh don't be so hard on them, the fact that the rest are so far behind says something," a woman on the far right said, she had metal greaves and a gray tank top on.

"Either they could be idiots or brave, maybe both," said the woman in the middle, she had a long blue coat on.

"Actually we just wanted to be the first ones here," Xynthia said smiling at them.

"Idiots. I'm gonna go with they're idiots," said the man on the far left again.

"Wouldn't be wrong," I mumbled.

"Well let me be the first to tell you both, welcome to the hardest part of your lives," the woman on the far right said.

For once I wished somebody would be lying to me.